In Your Honor
by alexsonnn
Summary: 9/11 remembrance. How it was handled in the Rider house. Mostly centered around Jack, but has Alex and Ian in it. dedicated to all the people who lost loved ones or lost their lives on that fateful day. not sure if i rated this correctly though.


**Disclaimer- I own nothing.**

**This story is completely in honor of the people who lost their lives or lost loved ones on 9/11/01. Hence the title. :)**

Now was always a quiet time in the Rider household. Even Tom respectfully made himself scarce.

Alex was wary, this was the first time since the devastating event that he was going to have to help Jack through it alone. Ian had always did his best to make it a point to be home at this time of year.

All he could think to do was what he had observed his uncle do for Jack.

Alex came straight home after school, not taking the scenic route with Tom, like he usually did.

Any other time he'd throw open the door, announcing he was home, make himself a snack, while talking with Jack.

Today, however, he slipped silently into the huge house and searched for his guardian.

He found her in the kitchen, leaning against the counter, staring intently at a old newspaper, all the while clutching a newspaper clipping with a picture of a balding man at the top.

"He always put himself last," Jack said thickly. She had been crying, which wasn't surprising.

Alex wasn't even sure if Jack was talking to herself or to him. He wasn't even sure if Jack realized he was there.

But when tears started to leak from Jacks sad, green eyes, Alex went over, gently pried the two paper objects from Jacks hands and wrapped her in a massive hug, to which, Jack returned generously.

Alex held Jack as she cried into his shoulder, ruining his shirt, not that he cared, or noticed.

It hurt him to see Jack like this, more than that he hated knowing there was really nothing he could do about it.

He was then struck by a sudden flashback from nearly nine years ago.

_-Flashback-_

_"Ian, why is Jack upstairs, in her room, crying?" Alex asked, as he climbed down the stairs, and into the sitting room where his uncle was._

_Ian Rider looked very apprehensive as he watched the BBC news, clutching his black mobile as if waiting for the bat signal to shine out of it._

_Ian tore his eyes off the Television and slowly motioned for his nephew to sit with him on the couch._

_"Alex, Jack's father died today," he said slowly._

_Alex's eyes widened in shock, "What happened?" _

_"Well, some...bad people hijacked some of America's planes today. Remember seeing the Twin Towers in New York? Well, two planes hit both of them. They're gone. And then a Government building called the pentagon was hit. The last plane went down in a Pennsylvania field. Some, heroic, brave passengers stopped the last plane from hitting the last target._

_"Jack's dad was on a business trip in New York at the time. When the first Tower was hit, a lot of people were scrambling to get out of the way of the falling building. As Mr. Starbright was running he saw a little girl who had lost her parents in the stampede. Her foot was caught in the bars of a drainage hole. __**(1)**__ He madly stopped to help the girl. In the end he threw the girl to the ground, he threw himself ontop of the girl, using his own body to shield her from debris. It worked. In the end they were just on the edge of the horrible wreckage. They found them pretty quick. The girl is in the __hospital. But she's alive. Jack's dad is a hero to that girl," Ian concluded, ending his speech._

_He waited for Alex to say something but he just stared at him with sad, wide eyes._

_"Alex I know this is hard for you to wrap your head around, with you being so young. But you need to realize that not all people are good. Some people people have different beliefs about what's right and wrong, and they think it gives them the right to do whatever they please. And today, a lot of innocent people lost their lives today, for no reason, because of this. Now not everyone thinks this way so you have to be the judge of who's morals are right and wrong," Ian tried again, hoping he hadn't mortified his poor nephew. This wasn't easy to explain to a young child. "Are you okay? Do you have anymore questions?"_

_"What can we do for Jack?" Alex asked._

_Ian sighed, pulling his worried nephew close, "Nothing really Al'. Except be there for her, and be her shoulder to cry on."_

_-End of Flashback.-_

Alex glanced at the newspaper and newspaper clipping's headlines. The whole newspapers headline said; "Towers collapsed, America in devastation." While the clipping said; "Fallen Hero- Starbright shines bright."

Alex didn't need to read anymore he had every year.

"Jack you're right. Your dad did always put himself last. That little girl is alive and well now because of it. She's never going to forget your father either. And he had only met the girl for less than a minute. That's how big of an impact he had on her. Your father did a noble and selfless thing.," Alex reasoned.

"I know Alex. And I by know means blame that scared child, I'm glad Dad helped her. I just miss him _so_ much," Jack whispered, still not moving her head from Alex's shoulder.

Alex smiled a little at that, " If you really want to spend time with him, just look in the mirror or spend a day with _yourself,"_ Alex said.

"Alex..." Jack started glumly.

"No, I'm serious Jack. When Ian died you didn't think twice about taking me in. You didn't stop to think about the repercussions it was going to have. And I know you sacrificed a lot for me, just like your father did for that girl. I'm grateful everyday for what you've done for me. And I'm certain that little girl and her family are just as grateful to your father. See? You're more like your dad than you think," Alex finished, pulling Jack out of the hug and holding her at arms length, smiling at her.

Jack stared at him for a minute then, smiled shakily back at him.

"Thank you Alex. I _really_ needed that. You are _so _sweet," she said pulling him back into a bone crushing hug, then letting him go, and planting a kiss on his forehead.

"Now, how about I fix us something to eat? You gotta be hungry," Jack said, wiping her eyes, and moving over to the refrigerator.

"Are you gonna be okay?" Alex asked watching Jack closely.

She looked at Alex, then nodded slowly, then smiled assuringly, "I will be."

**A/N- this story is in honor of all the people who lost their lives on 9/11/01. I know I posted it alittle early but I decided to go ahead and do it early.**

**(1)- you know those drain things on the very edges of the road, with the bars?.....I've actually gotten my foot caught in one of these, sadly.**

**Anyways let me know how you liked it.**


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